Mitchell Robinson says the injury to his hand that put his availability into question for the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals came from punching a truck after learning his younger brother was injured in a serious car accident.

Robinson, who last week signed a $47.4million, three-year deal with the Boston Celtics, addressed the injury in a post to Facebook on Sunday.

Knicks coach Mike Brown had said the veteran centre was not hurt in a game or during practice, and Robinson revealed the injury was actually to his knuckles and came after New York eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.

"Upon returning to New York, I received an unexpected phone call, and my family members contacted me, informing me that my youngest brother had been involved in a car accident," Robinson wrote.

"As the eldest sibling, I felt a deep sense of concern, and I immediately went into panic mode. I began returning calls and texts, and when I FaceTimed my brother, I thought he was deceased. He was wearing a neck brace, unresponsive, and not speaking. I broke down in tears, feeling like a failure for not being able to protect my siblings. Being 910 miles away, I felt helpless. In a moment of frustration, I banged my hand on my truck."

 

Former Knicks center Mitchell Robinson addressed the hand injury that put his status for the start of the NBA Finals in doubt, saying he was hurt after reacting to a family member being in a car crash.

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After undergoing surgery on his hand, Robinson was officially listed as questionable for the opener of the NBA Finals against San Antonio, but was able to play in all five games against the Spurs, averaging 3.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in helping the Knicks to their first NBA title in 53 years.

In his post to social media, Robinson also addressed mental health concerns he had during the season and said he consulted with doctors.

"Before judging someone, it is essential to understand their circumstances, which may not be publicly known. Life is unpredictable, and it is how we respond to challenges that truly matters," he wrote.

"So at the end of the day I battled with so much throughout this season even made a huge sacrifice to not see my daughter as much this season because I needed to focus and lock in so she can have a better future than I did."